Metal railroad-tie



(No Model.)

B. W. ELLIGOTT. METAL RAILROAD TIE.

pme, 1889.

Patented Se u. Parras. Pnnxoinlmgmpnnn wnshmmm Dv c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIl W. ELLICO'IT, OF FLEMINGTON, NEIV JERSEY.

M ETAL RAI LROAD-Tl E.

SPECIFICATION. forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 410,684, dated September 10, 1889.

Application filed April l0, 1889. Serial No. 306,662. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN W. ELLIooTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flemington, in the county of Hunterdon and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Railroad-Ties and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved construction of metal railroad-ties adapted to be held firmly in position on a railroad-bed, trestle-work, bridge, or other structure, and serving as a substantial yet flexible rest for the rails of the track.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a foundation-plate, preferably made of channel-iron. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section in the line m of Figs. 4t and 5. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one-half of the flexible rail-rest. Fig. 4 is an end view of the improved railroad-tie, showing also a side view of a portion of one of the track-rails. Fig. 5 is a top View of a portion of the said tie, showing also a portion of one of the track-rails; and Figs. 6, 7, S, and 9 are views, in detail, of a chairplate clamping or gripping clip, inner and outer chair-plates, and a foot-abutment block.

A in the drawings is a transverse metal foundation tie-plate, preferably, but not necessarily, made of channel-iron, as shown, in order to possess the requisite strength, with lightness and stiffness, for sustaining the transverse rail-rest B, which forms the trackbed. This plate A is of sufficient length, breadth, and thickness to receive the said rail-rest and carry the same, as illustrated, and on the upper surface of its bottom portion are formed or applied upwardly-projecting abutment-ribs a a a2 a3, the same extending from side to side of the plate in pairs, one pair beneath a rightfhand track-rail C2, and the other pair between a left-hand track-rail C3, as shown, and serving to prevent the railrest from slipping endwise or transversely of the rails G2 C3, as will be presently described. The ribs a a2 are of less height than the ribs a a5, and their abutting-surfaces for a portion of their depth are beveled, as at a", while below this beveled surface their abutting-surfaces and also the abutting-surfaces of the ribs a a3 are vertical with the bottom of the plate. This construction is adopted in order to facilitate the insertion of the feet c2 c2 of the rail-rest B by a downward pressure upon said rest, and also insure a close fit and firm footing for said rail-rest.

Against the ribs a a3 are set transverse metal abutment-blocks a5 a5, said blocks being of the same len gth as the ribs and secured firmly in place by strong-headed screw-bolts b l), which pass up through the plate A and blocks o5 a5, clear of the feet c2 c2, and receive nuts d2 d2 and also jam-nuts, if necessary, on their upper ends, as shown. These blocks have a horizontal bearing-surface and are underbeveled, as shown at c5 c5, to receive and hold down firmly correspondingly-beveled toes c4 c4 of the feet c2 c2 of the rail-rest B. Each block is provided with a solid lug c8 between the beveled end portions c5 c5, and the lugs of the blocks enter perpendicularlywalled notches c, formed in the feet c2 c2 of the rail-rest, and form firm stops to the same, both transversely and longitudinally of the trackrails. The outer upper surface of the abutment-blocks are preferably beveled to correspond with the top beveled4 surfaces of the ribs a a3, and inward from their top beveled surfaces they are horizontal and on a level with the top surfaces of the feet of the railrest.

If found practicable, the ribs a a3 and the blocks a5 a5 may be formed in one piece and confined by screw-bolts, or the blocks and ribs may be formed as one piece upon the plate A; but the construction shown is preferable.

The rail-rest B, as shown, comprises two spliced transverse plates c c', and, as one plate is substantially like the other, a description of plate c will suffice as a description for the plate c. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the plate c has a foot c2 of a thickness greater than any other portion of it and a width equal to the foundation-plate A, and that from this footportion, at a point about one-third its length from the end of the toes c4, a curved standard f extends upward a proper height for allowing the necessary requisite spring action to the rail-rest. In forming this stand- IOO ard the metal of which the rest-plate c is formed is gradually reduced inthickness, and the top outer surface of the foot near'the base of the standard f is chamfered or made with a slight concavity at c3, and above this concavity it is bent inward on a segmental curve f', as shown. The inner side of the standard has about the form of a semicircle, as at f2. standard the plate c is extended transversely and is of the same `thickness of metal as the standard for about one-third its length, then is tapered along about another third, as at 010, and at the termination of this last-mentioned third portion of its length a flat vertical shoulder h is formed, and from the shoulder the plate c is extended with a lapping portion h2 equal to about one-third its length, which has parallel horizontal surfaces, as shown.

By having the standard f start up from the foot c2 ata point about one-third its length from the out er ends of the toes e4 a great ad- `vantage is secured, for under this construction the weight of the load upon the rail-rest has a tendency to keep the foot c2 down to its foothold a5 rather than a tendency to pry up against said foothold.

The plate c has abutment-ribs m m', made of different heights, so as to accommodate the differently-formed chair-plates C C applied on it. These ribs are located at points forward of the curved standard f of the rail-rest in order to provide rail-chair-plate abutments, and against the outer higher abutment-rib m the outerfoot-flange of a rail C2 or C3 iits snugly and abuts, and is confined by a shouldered chair-plate C set upon the ab utment-rib m, and extending down against the inner side of the said abutment-.ribm and bearing upon the rail, as shown, and being confined by a gripping-clip D and nuts fn. The chair-plate C is longer than the width of the rest-plate c', and the bolt ends of the gripping-clip after the clip has been passed under the rail-rest can pass through the projecting ends of the chair-plate outside of the rail-rest, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The inner foot-flange of the rail C2 or C3 is held down by a shouldered chair-plate C', which abuts against the inner rib m and against the inner edge of the rail-ange and laps over the said foot-flange of the rail, as shown. The chair-plate Cis also constructed of agreater length than the width of the railrest B andis confined by a gripping-clip D and nuts n, applied in the same manner as ,the clip of the chair-plate C.

The restplates c and c', which differ from one another in only having the shoulder h of t-he one on top and the shoulder h of the other at the bottom, after being set and confined in the footholds of the foundation tieplate A, as described and shown, are bolted together at their lapped ends h2 by bolts h4,

and when thus bolted together abut against each other at their shoulders h', while the feet of the rail-rest abut against the abutment- From the upper portion of the 4 a better purpose than those constructions which require auxiliary cushion-springs, either of metal o'r rubber, asit serves both as a strong support and stay, and is capable of yielding in a curve line along its whole length between its standards ff without becoming injuriously impaired in its functions after short use.

In Fig. 2, at E, an angular knee or brace is represented bolted to the bottom plate A and abutting against a rail C2 or C3 under its cap. This brace may be applied at points of a railroad bed or track where curves or elevations and depressions occur, and its purpose is to sustain the rails when subjected to extra strain or weight whilel trains are passing around inclines or curves.

The foundation-plate A may be set in and on a prepared foundation, so as to remain firm, or it may be bolted to trestle-work or timbers of bridges by passing bolts through the said timbers and the said plate.

It is contemplated to make the rail-rest B in one flexible piece or without a splice-joint and have all the other constructions thereof, substantially as described,remain unchanged, and doing this would be within the scope of my invention; but as by thus making it in one piece the expense and inconvenience would be so greatly increased as compared with making it in two pieces, as shown, I regard the plan shown as far preferable to the modification` just proposed.

I/Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ipsl. In a metal railroad-tie, in combination, a foundation-plate provided with abutmentribs in rear of the standards of the rail-rest and a fiexible transverse rail-rest having abutment-ribs for the rails between the said standards of the rail-rest, substantially as and for the purpose described. V

2. In a metal railroad-tie, in combination, the plate A, provided with abutment-ribs a a a2 a3, abutment-blocks a5, having beveled portions c5 and lugs o8, and aflexible railrest B, having foot portions c2, with beveled portions c4 and a notch c, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a metal railroad-tie, the flexible railrest B, formed with foot portions c2, curved standard portions f, and abutments m m inside of or between the standards, substantially as described.

4t. In a metal railroad-tie, in combination, the flexible rail-rest B, having abutments fm ICO IIO

m between its standards, chair-plates C C, and the foundation-plate A, having abutments for the feet of the rail-rest, substantially as described.

5. In a metal railroad-tie, in combination, the flexible rail-rest B, chair-plates C C', eX- tended beyond the edges of the rail-rest, and gripping-clips D, passed under the rest and through the chair-plates, substantially as described.

G. In a metal railroad-tie, in combination, the rest formed of two spliced part-s c c', provided with abutmentribs m m', and having parallel portions terminated in shoulders h', then tapered for a portion of their length, then made of uniform thickness from said tapered portion to their standards f, then bent into curved standards of a thickness equal to the lastmentioned portion, and terminating in thicker abutting foot portions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

'7. In a metal railroad-tie, in combination, the flexible rail-rest having abutment-ribs between its standards and provided with standards and abutting foot portions, said portions extending inward from said standards a greater distance than outward, substantially as and for the purpose described.

S. The flexible spliced rail-rest, in combination with a rigid foundation abutment-plate, substantially as described.

9. The abutment-ribs a of the foundationplate A, made 0f less height than the abutmentribs a and with a bevel surface a4, substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. The abutmentribs m m of the rail-rest, those m being made of a less height than the ribs fm, in combination with the differentlyformed chair-plates C C and the rails C2 C3, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ll. The combination of the auxiliary braces E, rail-rest, rail, and foundation-plate A, substantially as and for the purpose described.

12. In combination with a rigid or solid plate or foundation, a flexible transverse railrest receiving the rail between its bearings, said transverse rail-rest yielding at once, under a load, bodily throughout its entire length and thickness between the foundation-supports, and in thus yieldingassuming a downwardly-curved or approximately-segmental form, and when the load is Withdrawn resuming its original straight shape, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN W. ELLICOTT.

Witnesses:

C. C. DUNHAM, N. DUNHOME STIGER. 

